tropical cyclone

American  

[trop-i-kuhl sahy-klohn] / ˈtrɒp ɪ kəl ˈsaɪ kloʊn /

noun

Meteorology.

1. a warm-core cyclone that originates over a tropical ocean area, generally beginning as a tropical depression and having the potential to intensify and develop into a hurricane or typhoon, classifications that depend on where the storm is occurring.

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tropical cyclone Scientific  

/ trŏp′ĭ-kəl /

1. See under cyclone

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Etymology

Origin of tropical cyclone

First recorded in 1915–20

Compare meaning

How does tropical-cyclone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• tropical cyclone vs. hurricane
• tropical cyclone vs. tropical storm

Example Sentences

It comes 10 days after tropical cyclone Fytia killed 14 and displaced over 31,000 people, according to the UN's humanitarian office.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026

Patricia holds the record as the strongest tropical cyclone ever observed, with winds reaching up to 185 knots -- powerful enough to qualify as a Category 7 storm, if such a category existed, Lin said.

From Science Daily • Dec. 25, 2025

When asked about another scene from the attack, Grok incorrectly claimed it was footage from tropical "cyclone Alfred," which generated heavy weather across the Australian coast earlier this year.

From Barron's • Dec. 16, 2025

“We are looking at relatively enhanced odds of tropical cyclone formations in the western Caribbean, south of Cuba,” Rosencrans said.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2024

My mind spun like the vortex of a tropical cyclone.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd